Create custom PIP (picture-in-picture) transitions for Windows Movie Maker, choosing the shape, style, location, timing, etc. you desire. This Wizard enables you to fly your video clip (or still-image clip) over the background provided by another overlapping clip in your Movie Maker timeline. It will hold the Movie Maker PIP image in any position/size you choose for most of the transition's duration, then quickly zoom the image in or out to become the new scene. Many different edge/border treatments are possible for the Movie Maker picture-in-picture transition, plus realistic shadows and glows for an illusion of depth. New in Version 6: Ultra-sharp picture-in-picture rendering, more picture-in-picture frame shapes, reverse PIP flow, reference image choosing directly from your source video, set preview duration exactly, improved help, and more new features.

Why use a PIP? Picture-in-picture transitions are especially handy to show two different views or scenes that are occurring simultaneously in time. That capability can be useful for a wide range of Movie Maker projects. Please view our example movie at right to see some examples of what PerfectPIP can do for your Windows Movie Maker productions. Note that this Wizard is a great complement to our PipFX Transitions Pack T2 of 54 pre-made picture-in-picture transitions for Windows Movie Maker.

Tutorial: 6 Steps to Using PerfectPIP

Double-click the Wizards for Movie Maker icon on your desktop (installed by our demo or purchased version). Or choose it in your Start > Program Files > Pixelan menu. Then the Wizards window will appear. If necessary, choose PerfectPIP transitions from the top submenu to see the below.

1. Optionally, click the two Reference Clip buttons to load still-images of the two clips you will use in the picture-in-picture transition, for reference to position and customize the PIP. Clip 1 is the background; Clip 2 forms the PIP. Formats that can be shown in the Wizard are .wmv, .avi, .mpg for video, and .bmp, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tga, .pct for images.

TIP: Reference images are ONLY for reference in a Wizard. They are NOT part of your custom transition. The Movie Maker TIMELINE is where you will apply your exported PerfectPIP transition between any video/still-image clip.

2. In the preview, drag the PIP’s center to set its ‘hold’ position. Drag the PIP’s edge to resize it. Or right-click to set the PIP’s position and size precisely.

3. Click the Shape, Softness, Path, Border, and Timing buttons to change the PIP’s visual qualities interactively. Note you can click the triangle in the Border and Style buttons to change color.

4. Click the blue Play button under the preview to play the transition. Note you can adjust the preview's duration by clicking the blue duration indicator under the preview. The ACTUAL duration of the transition is always set in the Movie Maker timeline, NOT the Wizard.

5. To create more than one custom Movie Maker picture in picture transition, click the Bin button to select another transition bin, then repeat steps 1-4 above. Forty bins are available.

6. When you are done creating transitions, click the Click here to export button to send your custom PerfectPIP transitions into Movie Maker. Re-start Movie Maker, then they will appear at the TOP of Movie Maker’s Transitions list as "PerfectPIP 01" "PerfectPIP 02" etc., ready to be dragged onto overlapped clips in the Movie Maker timeline.

PerfectPIP Transitions -- Tips and Tricks

Note: All of these tips are also in the built-in Help panel that appears with PerfectPIP.

• To choose where the Movie Maker picture in picture transition flies to/from, click the Path button. Zoom to/from the center of wherever you drag the PIP in the preview window. (This is the first preset of the nine.) Or zoom in/out from the center of the scene. Or choose a frame edge or corner to fly the picture in picture to/from.

• To reverse the PIP transition’s direction/flow in PerfectPIP, click any of the downward sloping presets in the second panel of the Timing palette.

• To revise a previously exported PerfectPIP transition in Movie Maker: 1. Revise the transition in this Wizard. 2. Click the Click here to export button. 3. Re-start Movie Maker. 4. Drag the SAME transition onto the old transition to replace the prior version. Important Tip: Revisions will NOT affect any other project. Each Movie Maker project file retains the Wizards information that was active at the time of applying it, no matter what Wizards changes occur later.

• To load a Reference Clip image that has a different format than the Wizard can show (thus a clip that is not in .wmv, .avi, .mpg, .bmp, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tga, or .pct. format), place the video clip or still-image in your Movie Maker timeline, display a desired frame in the Movie Maker preview window, then choose Tools > Take Picture from Preview. This will save a separate image file on your drive. Then load that image into a Wizard by clicking its Reference Clip button.

• To copy/paste a Bin's effect to another Bin in the same Wizard, right-click the Bin. This is handy to organize your effects and to create several variations of a complex effect.

• To undo/redo, click the small buttons at the window's top right corner (if active). Up to 100 undo/redo levels are possible -- great for experimenting with different looks.

• To optionally append up to 16 characters to a transition’s name to help you remember its intent when viewing Movie Maker’s list of transitions, use the Add to Name text box.

• To change the Wizard’s preferences, such as preview duration, video format (NTSC or PAL), aspect ratio (4:3 or 16:9), and more, click the white Preferences button at the bottom of the window. For best preview accuracy in the Wizard, match the video format and aspect ratio to your Movie Maker project. These values will not alter your exported effect; they are only for the Wizard’s preview.

• To save a favorite PerfectPIP transition (or a set of transition), click the Save Favorites (disk) button. To load it later, click the adjacent Load Favorites (folder) button. Note there is no need to save a favorite unless you intend to use the same transition in a future project, because each Movie Maker project file holds all Wizards info applied in that project. That remains true even if you later use the same Bin to make a new custom item for a different project.

• To clear only the currently displayed transition, or all PerfectPIP transitions in this Wizard, or all exported items in Movie Maker from this Wizard, click the yellow Clear (minus) button at the window’s bottom. Clearing all exported items is how you can create a fresh set of custom PerfectPIP transitions for each new project. Note that existing projects will still retain their earlier PerfectPIP transitions unchanged.

• To exit the Wizards, click the green Save and Exit (check mark) button in the lower corner of the window. Although you must re-start Movie Maker each time you export items from a Wizard, you can keep the Wizards window open for reference or further changes. Fine-tuning the PerfectPIP transition is then much easier!

SUPERB Creative Control -- Just a Few Easy Clicks!

Below is an overview of SOME of what is creatively possible with the PerfectPIP Wizard for Windows Movie Maker. Keep in mind that all of these options/choices SYNERGIZE to give you virtually an infinite amount of picture-in-picture looks -- all possible with just a few clicks! To see first-hand PerfectPIP's creative power, download our demo, which is a very easy download and automatically installs into Movie Maker -- no technical know-how required!

• Wide Variety of PIP Shapes. PIPs can be other shapes other than the usual rectangle. Use the shape to provide symbolism related to the content or just for additional visual variety. Any Shape is positionable and resizable -- just drag the center of the PIP in the PerfectPIP preview to position the PIP anywhere in the scene, and drag the edge of the PIP to resize the PIP large or smaller.

• Soft PIP Edges. Movie Maker PIPs also do not have to have the typical hard-edge. Instead use the Softness button to create a highly desirable 'seamless' look between foreground and background clips. Six levels of softness are available. Examples are shown below for an oval picture-in-picture shape.

Hard edge

Slightly soft

Softer

Seamless!

• Attractive Styles. For any shape or position of the Movie Maker PIP, with a single click you can choose from a variety of different looks via the Styles button. Examples are shown below. Such styles can help to "pop" your Movie Maker PIP from the background image, giving a more three-dimensional look.